“Saudi Arabia has won membership on the governing body of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, according to a report by the Saudi state media.

The Kingdom was voted onto the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) board of governors on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Riyadh currently lacks a functioning nuclear energy program, but IAEA officials said in April that the Kingdom is expected to complete its first reactor by the end of the year.

The board of governors crafts much of the IAEA’s policies and reports, and makes budget and membership recommendations, generally meeting five times per year. The watchdog has largely entered media headlines in connection to the Iran nuclear deal, as it is tasked to oversee Tehran’s nuclear program.’

estimates that Tel Aviv has about 100 nukes. fascinating list. but adding saudi arabia to the board of governors will mean that they have input as to the next director. don't take this to the bank, but i'm fairly certain that amerika has major input into that decision, and had pushed mohammed elbaradei, who turned out (unsurprisingly) to run a political shop, especially vis a vis: Iran.

there's been a certain amount (ahem) of suspicion as to whether there might have been 'foul play' behind the death of director general of the IAEA yukia amano in july of this year.

“The agency sends inspectors to sites and locations only when needed. The agency uses all safeguards relevant to information available to it but it does not take (so-called intelligence) at face value.”

Without mentioning Israel or Netanyahu by name, Amano added that “(a)ll information obtained, including from third parties, is subject to rigorous review and assessed together with other available information to arrive at an independent assessment based on the agency’s own expertise.”

stephen lendman had created this compilation. he quotes cia philip agee, william blum (may he rest in power) and so on.

but with iran in the cross-hairs constantly, O, what power and influence the Correct inspector general could have, yes? 'sure they have a heavy water reactor and 8 bombs 200 feet underground!' i'm sure there are plenty of willing candidates.

on evening edit: i guess i should have bolded: “It also appoints the Director General of the IAEA, with the approval of the General Conference.”

(as in: the IAEA board of governors)

that are totally ineffective and hypocritical as long as Israel is allowed to hide its nuclear program. Note Israel was one of the first countries to join in 1957.

Trump meets with security council on Iran war plans, Bill Van Auken,
20 September 2019, wsws.org

US President Donald Trump has convened a meeting of his National Security Council today to hear proposals from US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford for a military attack against Iran.

According to a senior administration official who spoke to the New York Times, the military brass is expected to recommend military strikes “at the lower end of the options.” These would include attacks on Iranian military sites believed capable of launching drones or cruise missiles as well as facilities where such weapons are stored.

At the “higher end” of potential targets would be Iranian refineries and other oil facilities as well as major bases of the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
...............................
Speaking on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, however, Pompeo brushed aside questions relating to a United Nations report establishing that the Houthis did possess drones capable of striking targets throughout Saudi Arabia. “It doesn't matter,” he said. “This was an Iranian attack. It's not the case that you can subcontract out the devastation of five percent of the world's global energy supply and think that you can absolve yourself of responsibilities.”

This line was echoed Thursday by Vice President Mike Pence, who told an interviewer that “whether it was their surrogates in Yemen who fired these missiles and drones or whether they fired them themselves, we're imposing punishing new sanctions on Iran to hold them accountable.”

This is hardly a matter of indifference. The Houthis are no “surrogates” of Iran. They carried out their rebellion against the Saudi-backed regime in Yemen for their own reasons and without backing from Tehran. They have defended their strikes on Saudi Arabia, which have included other previous targets, as acts of self-defense against a Saudi monarchical regime that has waged a near-genocidal war against the Yemeni people for the last four and a half years, claiming the lives of nearly 100,000 Yemenis and pushing another 8 million to the brink of starvation.

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has warned that any US or Saudi attack on Iran would lead to “all-out war.” [zarif forgot to add 'israel'.] “I am making a very serious statement that we don't want to engage in a military confrontation,” Zarif said in an interview with CNN. “But we won't blink to defend our territory.”

Pompeo seized upon the statement, proclaiming at the end of his talks with Saudi Arabia’s blood-soaked de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, “While the foreign minister of Iran is threatening an all-out war and to fight to the last American, we are here to build out a coalition aimed at achieving peace and peaceful resolution.”

“I am making a very serious statement that we don't want to engage in a military confrontation,” Zarif said in an interview with CNN. “But we won't blink to defend our territory.”

whether these people are insane enough to really start a war with Iran, I am beginning to think they are. Part of me thinks they might be ready to "sacrifice" a Trump win (because let's face it, Trump really is not the one pulling the strings here) which will tank the economy, which they know is coming one way or another. Perhaps they have massive derivative bets on just that to cover up all those other massive derivative bets that will blow up, who knows. When oil prices spike our frackers will be in the money, and I can't even begin to think of what else just might be a money maker for these freaks. Then some Democrat can "win" the election and inherit not only a raging war but a tanked economy and major unrest. Universal healthcare will simply be out of the question with WWIII raging... Minimum wage increases won't be real high on anyone's agenda either and forget about living wages. Then we get a full bore fascist after that, but then again, not like our Democrats aren't fascist in their own right, so not like we'd need an "election" anyway. And somehow these bastards will come out ahead. Far ahead and in total control. Total speculation on my part, probably wildly so. I really hope so. But I watch this stuff and wonder.

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Only a fool lets someone else tell him who his enemy is. Assata Shakur

i appreciate your wild rant. i can't say you're wrong on any of it, a bit hyberbolic, perhaps, but i hope some sort of reason prevails. the new bolton replacement, o'brien, most say is a kissin' cousin of the broom-moustached one, but i've forgotten his CV already, although the jereusalem post had noted that palestinians and other arabs are quakin' in their boots.

but a different neocon, i presume, and with pompeo, pence, and the cia dems (warren for certain, i may not have brought the tweet here) agitating for war on iran, who can say? for the most dyspeptic boss tweet, it's a matter of if he can belch or pass gas as far as tweeted policy goes.

your section on hedging oil futures v. fracked gas is great, dunno how realistic, nor that the D who might get elected instead will...not be able to..., etc. but it is hard to underestimate machiavellian plots and psyops, so...

also in play is the new election in israel, bibi down, gantz a couple seats ahead, but even if a coalition govt, can't form until monday or tuesday, i've been working toward a post of 'kinda/sorta election results' post for a few days now.

thanks a lot, lizzyh7. empire's gotta do what...empire's gotta do. what or who can reign one in? as edward said had noted:

‘Every single empire, in its official discourse, has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it has a mission to enlighten, civilize, bring order and democracy, and that it has a mission to enlighten, civilize, bring order and democracy, and that it uses force only as a last resort.’

and iran is a rogue, militarily aggressive, despotic nation w/ nuclear aspirations, as we all know. ; )

on edit: i should have noted as per 'machiavellian' the CIA/MI6 overthrow of iranian head of state mossadegh at the behest of standard oil in 1953. the blood-thirsty shah of iran who replaced him privatized iran's oil.

whether these people are insane enough to really start a war with Iran, I am beginning to think they are. Part of me thinks they might be ready to "sacrifice" a Trump win (because let's face it, Trump really is not the one pulling the strings here) which will tank the economy, which they know is coming one way or another. Perhaps they have massive derivative bets on just that to cover up all those other massive derivative bets that will blow up, who knows. When oil prices spike our frackers will be in the money, and I can't even begin to think of what else just might be a money maker for these freaks. Then some Democrat can "win" the election and inherit not only a raging war but a tanked economy and major unrest. Universal healthcare will simply be out of the question with WWIII raging... Minimum wage increases won't be real high on anyone's agenda either and forget about living wages. Then we get a full bore fascist after that, but then again, not like our Democrats aren't fascist in their own right, so not like we'd need an "election" anyway. And somehow these bastards will come out ahead. Far ahead and in total control. Total speculation on my part, probably wildly so. I really hope so. But I watch this stuff and wonder.

only closing song that occurs to me is the playing for change house band's sublime cover of peter tosh's 'jah guide'. g' night. it could have been a better world if Imperial competition didn't trump cooperation increasingly. peace when you can manage it...